THINGS TO DO: Voices on the Coast 2019

06 June 2019

Voices on the Coast is an amazing opportunity to get up close and personal with over 23 Australian authors, illustrators, poets and performers as they excite and inspire young people aged between 10 and 18 years old about the world of children’s literature.

This annual youth festival has been an important part of children’s literature on the Sunshine Coast since 1996 when two teachers from Immanuel Lutheran College brought the festival to the Sunshine Coast. The festival now attracts up to 5,000 students from across the Sunshine Coast and hinterland for the two student days held at USC: Sunshine Coast. This year, humorous stories are prominent at the festival as a method to engage our young people with literature and the love of reading. Guest authors, Oliver Phommavanh and Mick Elliott, both return to deliver talks and workshops. Oliver, a former school teacher, loves to make people laugh, either through his writing for children or as a stand-up comedian. Oliver’s books are packed with laughs, but also explore the cultural diversity of modern Australia. His best known books are Thai-rffic! and Con-nerd, and his recent books include Don’t Follow Vee and Natural Born Loser.

Mick Elliott is one of Nickelodeon’s crazy producers and screenwriters who has channelled his skills into the Turners trilogy and more recently into a new series Squidge Dibley about a new kid at Craglands South Primary – will the school survive? Laugh out loud moments fill this story. Mick will be entertaining students at the festival.

As a parent, trying to instil that love of reading in a child can be difficult. Well-known Brisbane teacher–librarian Megan Daley has just released her book Raising Readers; How to Nurture a Child’s Love of Books, filled with practical advice, on creating the perfect environment to enhance reading. Megan Daley answers questions including: how to a raise a reader; the importance of reading aloud; reading habits and how to build them into your life; the early years of school literacy demystified and how you can best support literacy development at home. Megan’s book also includes a chapter on how to create that Book Week costume! Megan will be holding sessions through the festival at various locations, members of the public are most welcome.

Voices on the Coast is open to all young people and adults, you do not need to wait for a school excursion as individual tickets to the festival events can be purchased. There are a range of events around the student days including a literary breakfast, festival launch and free library visits.